Editorial: Turei should resign

Andrew Austin, Editor of Hawke's Bay Today.

It is difficult to see how Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei can survive without being compelled to fall on her sword.

At some point she simply has to realise that she is doing her party more harm than good.

Mrs Turei says she knew that admitting to benefit fraud was a political risk, but she did it to highlight the problems with our welfare system.

She argues that at least the issue is being debated, but unfortunately for her the topic of conversation has moved away from the vulnerable to her conduct over the past few weeks.

Her actions have created turmoil for her party, a fact underscored by the resignations of stalwart MP Kennedy Graham and colleague David Clendon.

One has to admire her commitment to the causes she believes in, but Mrs Turei should have been upfront about everything from the beginning and immediately repaid the money.

There is no doubt most New Zealanders have sympathy for young mothers struggling to survive on a benefit. What they probably find less palatable is a well-paid politician being economical with the truth and using those same single mothers as a shameless ploy to grab votes.

The Green argument will be that her offending was fairly minor and the focus should instead be on big corporate ripoffs.

But, Mrs Turei has tarnished her party's brand at a time when it was starting to get much needed cut through with middle New Zealand, thanks to some good environmental policies. She won't be a minister of the crown if her party gets into a coalition government, so she is not going to have a voice of influence anyway.

Mrs Turei may become a martyr to some, but the danger for her is that many New Zealanders will simply see her as a politician who can't be trusted.